Sustainable Energy Solutions for Rice Mill Plant

Rice milling industry is one of the most energy consuming industries. A rice mill consumes energy forms in terms of water, air, steam, electricity, and labor. In a rice mill, some of the operations are done manually namely, cleaning, sun drying, feeding paddy to the bucket elevators, weighing and packaging, etc. While water is employed for soaking and steam generation, it is  Electricity the guzzler being the main energy source for these rice mills. Electricity is also used to operate motors, pumps, blowers, conveyors, fans, lights, etc. 

The variation in the consumption rate of energy through the use of utilities during processing is a huge factor of production for the final cost of the finished product.  Through ongoing efforts have yielded results, only a few have radically improved their energy efficiency levels. Old locally available technologies and incompetent, the absence of technical training in available technical personnel are some of the root causes.  

Consumers and regulators today are becoming stringent about environmental issues such as pollution and global warming. Existing Rice mill plant & upcoming rice mill projects located anywhere in the world have realized the need for rice mill solutions that act proactively & that outline macro as well as detailed policy for evolving energy concept in order to ensure energy-savings and green practices. These enable the processes to be both cost-effective and environmentally friendly and enable greater returns.

SOME SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR RICE MILL PLANT

Few Rice Mill Project Consultants and even some Rice Mill Engineers & Designers are offering services like energy audit, executing energy saving processes and equipment, employing renewable energy for energy cost reductions as well risk reduction against energy hazards. Transparent processes are being implemented to allow knowing electrical safety measures, energy consumption patterns, energy wastage in each process,  & if energy savings are possible and the what-if scenarios to calculate the project cost vis a vis savings payback. 

One of the greatest sustainable measures is to effectively employ and monetize wastage for creating useful products. Rice being a nature’s bounty- offers many uses even after the main kernel has been removed.

The two most important waste to use products are Rice bran oil & biogas from rice husk. Rice bran is perhaps the healthiest cooking medium with an ideal balance of polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) and monounsaturated fats (MUFA). Rice bran oil is made from bran and is rich in Vitamin E and makes for an excellent antioxidant. 

It has been used in the edible oil industry for quite some time. Rice husk is one of the by-products of rice processing has a high combustion value (75%) and high calorific value. This makes for an easily available, convenient and cheap renewable energy source. As Rice husk has also a small bulk density making it easy to transport, it is a convenient fuel for the biomass/rice husk power generation system. Many mills now recycle rice husks to greatly reducing the operating cost, increase operation efficiency and achieve greater returns from the rice milling plant. 

  

Different Types Of Machinery For Grain Processing

When crops are harvested, several irrelevant items get carried away with them. These items are required to be separated from the crops so as to begin the rest of the process. Various equipment is designed to take care of such a process. Grain Processing or Grain Refinement is that process which involves the alignment of grains with the help of grain processing equipment, by introducing more and more grain boundaries which halts the movement of dislocations and improves the strength of the material.

However, refining grains degrades the nutrients to a certain extent, which is why whole grains are considered to be more nourished and good for health. The technique of refining Grains is uncomplicated but tedious. It used to consume a lot of time to crush the grains earlier in order to obtain wheat flour. But machines have simplified the task. There are numerous kinds of Grain Machinery available in the market.

Destoner

It is used for destoning process which is a removal of stones and clods from soil ridges. It can be used for a variety of grains such as Rice, Wheat, Paddy, etc. It is helpful in controlling dust from the Rice Mill. It's fast, reliable, effective, and gives a stable running. There are four types of Destoners:-

1. Buhler Type Destoner
2. Highly Effective Destoner
3. Low Power High-Efficiency Destoner
4. Satake Type Destoner

Pre Cleaner

This Grain Processing machine separates all sorts of big or small dust particles from Wheat or Paddy. It comes armed with the high-efficiency blower to suck out all the impurities from the grain. The machine sports a very sturdy design for lifelong durability. It is compact, which gives the user an extra benefit of saving space. Also, the machine doesn't feature any opening for dust leakage and neither it demands a regular maintenance as compared to traditional cleaners. There are two types of Pre Cleaners:-

1. Rotary Pre Cleaner
2. Vibro Cleaner

Gravity Sorter

Gravity sorter or separator is slightly different from its counterparts. The process of this machine differentiates it to a certain extent. It separates diverse grains from admixture, impurities, insect damage, and immature kernels by pressurizing the deck with air. It comes with adjustable air fans to control the volume of air distribution as per the need. The machine is ponderous, thus ensuring lifetime longevity. It demands least maintenance and operates sleekly. There are two kinds of Gravity separators:-

1. High-Efficiency Gravity Sorter
2. Satake Type Gravity Sorter

General Length Grading

Graders are those efficient machines which can categorize the grains into various categories depending on their length. They are the most relevant part of all modern Rice/Paddy Mills. Through such grading machines, Rice/Paddy can be divided into five different groups as per their extent. The machinery is compact and well-structured and gives a stable performance.

Nextech Solutions in Delhi is a seasoned consultancy firm consisting of proficient individuals rendering quality service to its clients. One can contact for installation of Mill Machineries.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

How to Measure Moisture Content in Rice

Moisture content is basically the weight of water that is contained in the rice or paddy which is expressed in percentage. This is referred to the wet basis that means the total weight of the grain inclusive of water.

Why is it important?

It is extremely important to measure the content of moisture in the rice because of the managing and marketing of paddy and rice. Due to different purposes of rice that depends on different ideal moisture contents makes the testing of accurate moisture content essential. If there are inaccurate measurements of moisture content, it can lead to different serious scenarios:

1. If the grain is extremely wet in the storage, it will get spoiled.
2. In case the grain is too solid means very dry, it will result in the weight loss of these grains that means loss in profit.
3. If paddy is harvested wetter than what is required, it will lead to extra drying cost and also loss in harvesting.
4. When rice is milled at wrong moisture content, there is lower head rice.
5. If you dry the paddy too far, it results in extra drying cost along with loss in the quality of the rice.

How to measure the moisture content?

There are two methods of measuring the moisture of content in grain:

1. Primary Method - It is based on the weight measurements such as infrared moisture balance and oven method.
2. Secondary Method - Electronic instruments are used in this method that makes use of electrical characteristics of grain.

When it comes to measuring the moisture content, there are a number of portable grain moisture meters that can be used. Make sure, when you are selecting a meter for this purpose, that it is suitable for the activity that you are going to use it for, such as milling grain or harvesting Paddy.

The type of portable moisture meter used in:

Harvesting - Here, to measure MC use a resistance moisture meter that can provide you quick results with small samples only. If you have low MC, you will have more losses from shattering and higher Mc will result in losses from poor grain quality.

Drying - The seeds should be dried below 12% and grains below 14% as improper drying will lead to low see and grain quality. In order to avoid any damage, dry the paddy within 24 hrs after the harvesting.

Storage - In the initial weeks and months, MC percentage should be 14% or less and in 8 to 12 months, it should be 13% or less.

Milling - The standard MC is between 13% and 14%.

Nextech Solutions is an Indian-based Rice Milling Plant Consultant with years of experience in the rice milling industry. They provide services like rice cleaning, rice processing, parboiling, drying, and grading.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

Advanced Rice Blending Solutions

Rice milling refers to the process of removing the hulls and bran from the raw paddy grains and thus producing polished rice. Rice is a crop that is rich in genetic diversity, having a thousand of variants grown worldwide. It is one of the most consumed cereals worldwide. Today, this grain is helping 2/3 of the total world population to sustain. It is life for thousands of people and is also deeply engaged in the heritage of several countries and societies including south Asian countries. About four-fifths of the world's rice is produced by the small-scale farmers and is consumed locally.

Milling refers to the process in which the grains are transformed in the suitable human consumption, and thus, it has to be done with utmost care to prevent the breaking of kernels and improving recovery. Rice grains also called as grains consist of brown rice and husk. Brown rice, in turn, consists of bran comprising the outer layer and the edible portion.

The extent of the recovery during the milling process is dependent on several factors like the degree of milling required a variety of paddy, quality of equipment used, the operator, etc. As and when the countries reach the self-sufficiency state of rice production, the demand of the consumer to get a better quality of rice increases. The quality of rice is hard to define in terms as it rests on the intended user and consumer of the grains.

The grain quality is not only proportional to the variety of rice, but also in the environment of production of crop, harvesting, processing as well as milling system.

The last step in the modern milling process is removing the broken rice grains from the milled rice with the help of blender machines. The screen separators and the sifters are used to separate the small broken rice, also known as brewer rice from the complete and large broken. Sifting also removes germs and brand and are present in the milled rice, even after the process of polishing and whitening.

The large broken and whole grains are either bagged for the customer delivery or are further processed through the length graders. From millers catering to the high end or export market, the length graders and the blending stations are used. The length grading process separates the broken rice from the large broken. Further, the rice blender helps in mixing the head rice and broken in right proportion as per the specification of the grade standards. For example, the premium grade rice in some countries allows for 95% head rice and 5% broken.

In usual rice-growing countries, the milled rice is marketed in bags, and thus, bagging stations form an integral part of the modern rice mill. The size of the bags is dependent on the requirements of the customers or suggestions made by rice mill consultants. The larger rice mills catering to the supermarket, milled rice are packaged in plastic packs of 2, 5, 10 and 20kg, and packaging is fully mechanized.

Blending station:- The rice blending solutions allows the mixing of the head and broken rice in the right proportion, as per the specifications of the grading standards.

With extensive experience in milling and grain processing, Nextech Solutions is a globally operating milling and plant designing consultant helping in grain processing, milling, and storage.

Article Source: EzineArticles

Optimized Rice Processing Equipment and Solutions

Rice is possibly the grain that has been cultivated for a longer time and more extensively, occupying approximately 9% of the total arable land and is the second cereal in importance for human nutrition, after wheat. It is currently the food base of two-thirds of the world's population.

Grinding in rice differs completely from that of wheat. Wheat is milled to obtain flour, while rice grinding includes husking, bran removal and finally separation of broken and damaged grains.

Rice from the field is the whole, known worldwide as "paddy" or paddy rice; contains fibrous and inedible outer shell called husk (glumes and glumes). When the peel is removed, but the pericarp (the bran) and the germ are preserved, brown rice is obtained, which after polishing is transformed into white rice. Rice is produced only for human consumption as a feed.

The most important quality criteria for rice are the grinding efficiency, the appearance of the raw grain, the cooking behavior and the texture and aroma of the cooked grain. The milling yield is a measure of the proportion of unbroken whole grains and reflects the variety, conditions of cultivation, harvesting and subsequent management. In the appearance of the raw grain the biometry (dimensions and shape of the grain), the color and characteristics of the pearl (dark areas of the grain, without crystallinity) participate.

The rice is transported to the rice mill plant, then it is emptied into hoppers, which using elevators and conveying augers is taken to the silo receiving damp rice, and from there they are distributed to the different towers of drying, according to the size of the modern rice mill plant. In these towers, the rice is subjected to a drying process by air or heat to reduce the moisture of the grain, to the optimal parameters for its storage (12.5% - 13.5%).

During storage, the rice is attacked by insects, rodents and fungi, which will affect the product under different weather conditions. The reduction can influence the quantity; hence, corrective measures are taken to prevent these agents from being combated quickly and efficiently.

The rice, after being dried and stored, passes to the rice milling machine where it will be processed for the consumption of the population.

Mill plant layout and Design

As a first step, the dry paddy rice is passed to a cleaning machine, which will give it a final purification process. Then they are moved to a rubber roller shell where the grain is separated from the shell by 95%, expelling is covered, and the product is peeled with part of it. These peeled grains are sent to the densimetric table where the separation of rice is done. The peeled grain follows the process towards the rice polishers, where the removal of the surface layer or bran is done; this method is called grain polishing. Rice bran or "powder" is used as animal feed; the polished rice is transported towards the classifiers where the whole grain is separated, and the broken grain is classified.

After the rice is processed, it is transferred to the packer to be packed either in plastic bags or bags.

Nextech Grain Processing & Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd.is a reputed firm working in the field of Grain and Seed industry. The experienced, sincere and always reachable professionals commit towards satisfaction and quality work.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

Setting Up a Rice Milling Business in India

In India, rice is cultivated on a mass scale. Rice is one of its most important dietary staples and more than 65% of its human population relies on rice for its daily food requirement. The rice crop occupies more than 37% of the total crop area in India and accounts for almost 44% of all the food grains produced in the country.

An integral process of rice production is rice milling. And just like in any nation where rice is produced on a large scale, rice milling has been around for a very long time in India. The need for milling arises because paddy cannot be consumed in its raw form and requires suitable processing.

Owing to this huge global demand for rice, rice milling, today, is a fast-growing agro-business which you can successfully leverage for financial benefits. However, being a commercially profitable business, setting up a rice mill requires extensive knowledge and capital.

If you can manage to arrange the capital requirement, you must read further to learn how to set up a rice milling industry in India:

1. Decide the rice milling type: One pass, two step or commercial: The one pass process is one where husk and bran layers are removed in a single pass. The two step process does it separately; it requires traditional machinery and equipment and is mostly done for consumption within the local community. Commercial milling is an extensive process which requires the use of modern milling machinery. It is done mainly with a view to export the produce. Unlike the two processes mentioned above, it involves a number of processes:

• Pre-cleaning
• De-stoning
• Removing husk
• Husk aspiration
• Paddy removal
• Polishing
• Whitening
• Grading and separating
• Blending
• Mist polishing
• Weighing and Bagging
• Storing

2. Gain knowledge: learn from the experts: Before you plunge into rice milling business, it's important for you to take a look at the environment and understand the important facts about rice milling industry in your area. Learn the pitfalls and challenges involved, have a feel of the different processes involved. Basically, learn as much as you can in the shortest time span.

3. Devise a business plan: A lot of factors are into play and you cannot enter this competitive industry without a detailed strategy. Since you've already acquired the basic know how, now you need to put everything into a plan. Clearly mention your business's aims and objectives, p&l analysis, projected earnings, target market, staff requirement, competition, etc. All in all, keep a tab on everything required to get you up and running.

4. Obtain permits and licenses: To actualize the rice milling venture, you need to obtain certain licenses from the Government of India. You need to:

• Register your business with Registrar of Companies
• Registration with Udyog Aadhaar MSME
• Factory license
• Obtain Consent to Establish and Operate from Pollution Control Board
• Obtain license as per Rice Milling Industry Act, 1958
• VAT Registration

One must also comply with ESIC and PFA registration for the employees.

If you wish to export, you also need to obtain Import-Export Code.

5. Acquire land: Get your hands on a suitable location which is easily accessible.

6. Buy and Install equipment: Some of the machines in use today are:

• Rice cleaner
• Rice de-stoner
• Rice Husker
• Colour sorter
• Paddy separator
• Rice polisher and whitener
• Rice grader
• Dryer, etc.

Since it solely depends on your requirements and business scale, it's best to consult a rice milling expert. They will also help you set up the machinery.

The final step in starting a rice milling business is acquiring the raw materials and starting with the production. Since it's important to maintain production all through the year, it's important that you receive guaranteed supplies. You can:

• Start with your own rice farming
• Buy from suppliers, i.e. farmers or farmer markets

Nextech Agri Solutions is a grain processing and engineering consultant equipped with all the necessary expertise required for Basmati rice processing.

Article Source: EzineArticles

Major Importing Countries Of Basmati Rice

In the period of worldwide markets and the subsequent improvement of universal licensed innovation rights, clashes emerge between industrialized countries looking to grow new items from plants, and creating countries trying to profit by their indigenous vegetation. One case is the contention over basmati rice. Since quite a while ago recognized as beginning in the Indian sub-landmass, basmati rice is prized for its unmistakable fragrance, season, and long, slim, fleecy grains.

A standout amongst the most essential measures of numerous Asian nations' financial execution is the cost and nature of its rice. It's no big surprise, at that point, that policymakers have taken huge walks in endeavoring to control the flow of their national rice exchange request to balance out their particular residential markets. The five best shippers of rice are in charge of around 30% of the aggregate worldwide exchange, and the main ten are dependable around half of aggregate rice imports around the world. A large portion of the real players, including the latest best merchant, China, are situated in Asia, which is the landmass most in charge of movements on the planet's rice showcase. Other huge rice-bringing in nations incorporate Nigeria, the Philippines, Iran, and Indonesia.

A considerable lot of the real players, including the latest best shipper, China, are situated in Asia, which is the landmass most in charge of movements on the planet's rice showcase. Other noteworthy rice-bringing in nations incorporate Nigeria, the Philippines, Iran, and Indonesia. A lot of the rice mill plants have been established seeing the necessity of rice as a food supplement. The increasing demand in the current scenario is the basis of increase and expansion of the business of the basmati rice exporters.

The future of rice trade:

In spite of massive increases in the course of recent years, the worldwide rice advertise has been experiencing a few times of compression over the recent years. Notwithstanding this, the world's rice exchange is required to experience real development in years to come, as key nations keep on initiating projects to build their rice generation and radically chopped down their reliance on imported rice.

As the world's best buyers of rice modernize their ways of life and enhance their separate eating regimens, interest for new assortments of rice is additionally anticipated that would increment, taking into account different nations to assume progressively essential parts in the worldwide rice advertise. China's uncommon development in 2015 came as amazement and, to this date, regardless of whether it will keep on dominating the market remains an intense inquiry to reply. Specialists guarantee that by the year 2040 an extra rice supply of no under 112 million tons will be required to take care of the developing worldwide demand, particularly if nations like Africa neglect to address their own developing populaces and in this manner more noteworthy sustenance asset necessities.

A Basmati rice plant needs to be equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and milling equipment for optimum rice consistency. Nextech Agri Solutions is a leading basmati rice plant consultant in India.

Article Source: EzineArticles

Rice Growth: An Integral Part of Rice Production

The foremost step for a thriving harvest is to create a crop calendar. It provides a solid framework for all the farming activities and allows for better planning of subsequent procedures and production cost. From land preparation to storage, a crop calendar provides a definite schedule for rice production.

Formulating a crop calendar, choosing the variety of seeds and preparing the land are all integral parts of pre-planting. However, in this post, we’d be discussing the growth stage. The growth stage involves a number of processes from planting rice to controlling weeds, pests and diseases, all of which are pivotal for a thriving harvest.

1. Planting Rice

As such, there are two methods of seed plantation; direct seeding and transplanting. Transplanting involves raising the seedlings in a seedbed prior to plantation in the field, while in direct seeding, seedlings are planted directly in the field.

While choosing the right plantation method, a number of factors are in play; ecosystem, available labour, soil type, planting season, etc.

2. Water Management

Perhaps you already know that rice is extremely sensitive to lack of water. Thus it becomes pivotal to implement effective management practices for maximum yield. As a general rule, rice is grown in a land which is continuously flooded for about 10 days prior to the harvest. Flooding the land is an integral way to prepare for sowing and controlling weeds, and ensures that there’s sufficient water.

In Asia, a typical amount of 1500 mm of water is required for irrigation. Just so you know, irrigated rice receives about 40% of the total irrigated water; that’s about 25% of this world’s freshwater resources.

For effective water management, one should:

- Construct field channels

- Land preparation for minimal water shortage

- Leveling the field

- Repairing cracks and holes in the fields

3. Soil Fertility

Another important factor for plant’s healthy growth and sustenance is soil fertility. Therefore it is essential that you apply nutrients to the crop for maximum soil fertility. Owing to the nutritional imbalance in the fields, a number of crop-related problems can arise.

For optimum soil fertility, establish an achievable yield target, regulate the fertilizer use and regularly supply optimum amounts of nutrition.

4. Controlling Weed

Utilize the share of sunlight, water and nutrition meant for rice, weeds effectively decrease yields, elevate production costs, and subsequently reduce product quality. Yield loss is worst during the initial 30 days of sowing. Weed control is therefore important to prevent yield and production losses, both during land preparation and early growth.

5. Controlling Pests and Diseases

As estimated, farmers lose about 35% of their yearly yield to crop diseases and pests. To limit these inhibitors, one should:

- Clean the field between seasons

- Use pest resistant, clean seed varieties

- Encourage natural pest inhibitors and don’t over apply fertilizers

- Don’t use fertilizers within the first month of sowing

Article Source : EzineArticles